Rewritable optical data storage disk having enhanced flatness

ABSTRACT

A rewritable optical recording disk has an increased thickness that is greater than or equal to approximately 1.5 mm. In particular, the disk may have a substrate with a thickness that is greater than or equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal to approximately 2.6 mm. The increased thickness of the substrate enhances the flatness of the recording disk relative to a recording plane. In particular, the increased thickness reduces process-induced surface variations such as warpage and tilt, and provides the disk with increased stiffness to resist deflection during use. The enhanced flatness enables data to be recorded on the disk in a consistent manner with greater spatial densities using techniques such as near-field, air-incident recording. The resulting disk thereby yields greater spatial density and data storage capacity.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.09/003,580, filed Jan. 6, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,461 issued Oct.26, 199, the entire content of which is incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to rewritable optical data storage mediaincluding magneto-optic disks useful in near-field, air-incidentrecording applications.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In magneto-optic recording, data is represented as a magnetized domainon a magnetizable recording medium such as a disk. Each domain is astable magnetizable data site representative of a data bit. Data iswritten to the medium by applying a focused beam of high intensity lightin the presence of a magnetic field. The disk typically includes asubstrate, a magneto-optic recording layer, a reflective layer, and twoor more dielectric layers.

In substrate-incident recording, the beam passes through the substratebefore it reaches the recording layer. The reflective layer in asubstrate-incident recording medium is formed on a side of the recordinglayer opposite the substrate. The reflective layer reflects the beamback to the recording layer, increasing overall exposure and absorption.

In near-field, air-incident recording, the beam does not pass throughthe substrate. Instead, the beam is incident on the recording layer froma side of the disk opposite the substrate. In an air-incident recordingmedium, the reflective layer is formed adjacent the substrate. A solidimmersion lens (SIL) can be used to transmit the beam across anextremely thin air gap, and through the top of the recording medium tothe recording layer. The SIL can be integrated with a flying magnetichead assembly. The air gap forms a bearing over which the flying headrides during operation. For near-field recording, the thickness of theair gap is less than one wavelength of the recording beam. Transmissionof the beam is accomplished by a technique known as evanescent coupling.

For either substrate-incident or air-incident recording, the recordingbeam heats a localized area of the recording medium above its Curietemperature to form a magnetizable domain. The domain is allowed to coolin the presence of a magnetic field. The magnetic field overcomes thedemagnetizing field of the perpendicular anisotropy recording medium,causing the localized domain to acquire a particular magnetization. Thedirection of the magnetic field and the resulting magnetizationdetermine the data represented at the domain.

With beam modulation recording techniques, the magnetic field ismaintained in a given direction for a period of time as the beam poweris selectively modulated across the recording medium to achieve desiredmagnetizations at particular domains. According to magnetic fieldmodulation (MFM) recording techniques, the beam is continuously scannedacross the recording medium while the magnetic field is selectivelymodulated to achieve desired magnetization. Alternatively, the beam canbe pulsed at a high frequency in coordination with modulation of themagnetic field.

To read the recorded data, the drive applies a lower intensity,plane-polarized read beam to the recording medium. Upon transmissionthrough and/or reflection from the recording medium, the plane-polarizedread beam experiences a Kerr rotation in polarization. The Kerr angle ofrotation varies as a function of the magnetization of the localizedarea. An optical detector receives the read beam and translates the Kerrrotation angle into an appropriate bit value.

The amount of data storage capacity for a given magneto-optic diskdepends on the spatial density of domains on the disk and the effectiverecording surface area of the disk. Greater spatial density results inmore data per unit surface area. Greater recording surface areanaturally results in greater storage capacity for a given spatialdensity. Recording surface area is limited, however, by disk size. Disksize has been limited in part by drive footprint requirements. Spatialdensity is limited primarily by the spot size of the drive laser. Inother words, spatial density is a function of the ability of the driveto direct a beam to increasingly smaller domains in a consistent manner.Near-field, air-incident recording, in particular, has the potential toproduce extremely small spot sizes using evanescent coupling and theresultant high numerical aperture, thereby providing increased spatialdensity and data storage capacity.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a rewritable optical data storagedisk having a substrate with an increased thickness that is in a rangeof approximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm. The increased thickness of the substrateenhances the flatness of the recording disk relative to a recordingplane.

In particular, the increased thickness reduces process-induced surfacevariations such as warpage and tilt, and provides the disk withincreased stiffness to resist deflection during use. The enhancedflatness enables data to be recorded on the disk in a consistent mannerwith greater spatial densities using techniques such as near-field,air-incident recording. The resulting disk thereby yields greaterspatial density and data storage capacity.

An increased substrate thickness can adversely affect the cost andthroughput of disk manufacture, and raise cost and performance issueswith respect to disk drives. A substrate thickness in the range ofapproximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm, however, has been found to providesignificantly enhanced flatness, rigidity, and resistance to warpagewithout excessive cost, throughput, or performance impact.

Flatness refers to the ability of the incident surface of the disk tomaintain a substantially constant position relative to a recording planeon which the drive laser beam is focused. The “incident” surface refersto the surface of the disk through which the beam enters the disk.Deviation of the disk surface from the recording plane can impact theability of the drive laser to focus on individual domains, particularlyfor higher spatial densities. This deviation is compounded by the factthat the disk is constantly spinning during use in a drive. Innear-field applications, for example, it is expected that drives mayrotate a disk at speeds on the order of 2400 to 3600 revolutions perminute (rpm). Consequently, the portion of the disk to which therecording head is directed is constantly and rapidly changing.

For near-field, air-incident recording, the size and focal plane of arecording spot is determined primarily by the thickness of the airbearing that separates the recording head and the disk surface. If theposition of the disk surface is not uniform, the air bearing thicknesscan vary. Variation in the air bearing thickness can result in varyingfocus and spot size across the disk. In particular, the thickness of theair gap determines the amount of radiation received by the recordinglayer via evanescent coupling. Significant variation in spot size andfocus can undermine the ability of the laser to consistently addressextremely small domains. Also, excessive surface nonuniformity in thedisk can cause acute changes in air bearing thickness for successivedomains and resultant loss of tracking. In extreme cases, head crashes,i.e., physical contact of the head with the disk, can result. Thus,unacceptable flatness can lead to disk drive failure.

The surface of the disk can deviate from the recording plane for anumber of reasons. The disk fabrication process, for example, canproduce warpage and tilt in the disk. With thinner substrates, inparticular, the effects of gravity and thermal gradients during thepost-fill cooling phase can cause uneven densification and unbalancedthermal stresses at different areas of the disks. For example, once themold is filled, portions of the disk closest to the mold surface willcool more quickly. The result is disk warpage and tilt.

According to its ordinary meaning, warpage refers to a curvature of thesurface of the disk. For a warped disk, tilt can vary with both radialand angular position. Tilt refers to variation of the disk surfaceflatness relative to an ideal disk plane, and is represented by thefollowing equation:

T=(∂z/∂r)î ;+(∂z/r∂θ)ĵ ;,

where r is the radial position of the disk at which tilt is to bemeasured, z is the variation of the disk in a direction normal to theideal surface plane as represented as a function f(r,θ), and θ is theangular position of the disk at which tilt is to be measured. Thus,warpage and tilt are terms that generally can be used to characterize adeviation of the disk from an ideal disk plane.

In addition to the static variations caused by fabrication, disks havingthinner substrates also are susceptible to deflection in response toforces encountered during drive operation. Such forces may result, forexample, from inadvertent contact of the head with the disk surface orvibration induced by rotation of the disk. Head crashes can result, inparticular, from the application of shock loads when the disk and drivesystem are bumped or dropped. Also, for flight during operation, thehead exerts pressure against the air bearing. This bearing pressure istransferred to the disk, potentially causing deflection.

Deflection generally varies across the surface area of the disk. Inparticular, deflection during use can be more pronounced at the outerdiameter of the disk. The disk is held in a relatively fixed manner by aclutch mechanism associated with the drive. The disk is rotated by aspindle motor associated with the clutch mechanism. The radii of thedisk plane form beam members relative to the fixed center of the disk.Each beam member undergoes greater deflection at the outer diameter thanat the inner diameter of the disk. Thus, deviation of the disk surfacefrom the recording plane due to deflection can progressively increasefrom the inner diameter outward. In any event, the disk surface may notconform closely to the recording plane as it is rotated.

Conventional spatial densities of optical disks ordinarily tolerate somedegree of focusing error, and therefore are not greatly impacted byflatness variation. Also, to the extent that focusing error is aproblem, conventional substrate-incident recording drives typicallyinclude closed-loop focus adjustment across the surface of the disk. Athigher spatial densities, however, surface deviation can impair theability of the drive laser to consistently write and read to and fromindividual domains on the disk. With newer recording techniques such asnear-field, air-incident recording, a single disk can potentially bearup to 20 gigabytes (GB) of data over the area of a disk having adiameter in the range of 120 to 135 mm. In this case, the disk must becapable of providing stable magnetized domains on the order of 0.05 to0.06 square microns per domain.

Higher spatial densities may allow very little if any tolerance forfocusing error induced by flatness variation. Moreover, the evanescentcoupling technique used in near-field, air-incident recording does notallow ready focus adjustment. Rather, the air bearing thickness is thepredominant factor in determining the spot size and focal plane of thebeam. With significant disk warpage, tilt, and/or deflection, the airbearing thickness can vary to an undesirable degree. As a result, thenear-field recording head may suffer from focusing error and/or trackingloss. Accordingly, flatness is a critical condition in a high densityrecording system such as a near field recording system.

In accordance with the disk of the present invention, the increasedthickness of the substrate provides significantly enhanced flatness byincreasing the rigidity and weight of the disk. The increased rigidityenables the disk to effectively resist deflection during disk driveoperation. The increased weight and resulting gravity of the disk alsocounteract forces that would otherwise cause significant warpage andtilt during fabrication. Substrate thicknesses that are greater than orequal to approximately 1.5 millimeters (mm) provide the rigidity andweight necessary to achieve desired flatness across the surface area ofthe disk, i.e., from inner to outer diameter. In the range ofapproximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm, however, substrate thickness has been foundto provide exceptional flatness, rigidity, and warpage resistance.

Substrate thicknesses that are less than approximately 2.6 mm promotedecreased cost and time in the fabrication cost, but offer significantlyless rigidity and resultant flatness. Substrate thicknesses that aregreater than approximately 2.6 mm provide the necessary rigidity andweight, but can increase the cost and time involved in the fabricationprocess. Disk and drive material cost and excessive post-fill coolingtime make substrate thicknesses of less than or equal to 2.6 mm moredesirable. Substrate thicknesses greater than 2.6 mm can result in aheavier disk, requiring greater power consumption and higher rated drivemotors to rotate the disk. For a given motor, the heavier disk producesexcessive inertia and momentum, slowing spin-up and spin-down time andincreasing data access time. Thus, fabrication of a disk with optimalcharacteristics requires a balancing of the advantages of increasing thesubstrate thickness with the disadvantages associated with diskmanufacture and drive performance. A substrate thickness in the range ofapproximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm has been found to provide such a tradeoff,and is considered an optimum range given the performance andmanufacturing factors considered.

As broadly embodied and described herein, the present invention providesa rewritable optical data storage disk comprising a substrate and arecording layer, wherein the substrate has a thickness of greater thanor equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal to approximately2.6 mm.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides an air-incident,magneto-optic disk comprising in order a substrate, a reflective layer,a first dielectric layer, a magneto-optic recording layer, and a seconddielectric layer, wherein the substrate has a thickness of greater thanor equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal to approximately2.6 mm.

In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a system forair-incident, magneto-optic recording, the system comprising amagneto-optic disk having a substrate and a recording layer, a radiationsource oriented to direct a beam of radiation to the recording layerfrom a side of the disk opposite the substrate, and a detector orientedto receive a reflected component of the beam of radiation and generate adata signal based on the content of the beam of radiation, wherein thesubstrate has a thickness of greater than or equal to approximately 2.3mm and less than or equal to approximately 2.6 mm.

In an added embodiment, the present invention provides an air-incident,magneto-optic disk comprising in order a substrate having a thickness ofgreater than or equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal toapproximately 2.6 mm, a reflective layer, a first dielectric layer, arecording layer having a thickness of greater than or equal toapproximately 6 nm and less than or equal to approximately 15 nm, and asecond dielectric layer, wherein the disk has a diameter in the range ofapproximately 120 to 135 mm and is capable of forming stablemagnetizable domains having dimensions of less than approximately 0.06square microns.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method formaking an air-incident, magneto-optic disk comprising forming asubstrate having a thickness of greater than or equal to approximately2.3 mm and less than or equal to approximately 2.6 mm, forming areflective layer over the substrate, forming a first dielectric layerover the reflective layer, forming a recording layer over the firstdielectric layer, and forming a second dielectric layer over therecording layer.

Other advantages, features, and embodiments of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of a magneto-optic recording diskhaving a substrate with increased thickness;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the magneto-optic recording disk ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bar graph illustrating variation in process-induced tilt fordisks having different substrate thicknesses;

FIG. 4 is a bar graph illustrating normalized variation in deflectionfor disks having different substrate thicknesses;

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating actual variation in deflection for diskshaving different substrate thicknesses; and

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating variation in required cooling time fordisks molded with different substrate thicknesses.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of a rewritable optical data storagedisk 10 having a substrate 12 with an increased thickness, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. Disk 10 may be, forexample, a magneto-optic recording disk. In the example of FIG. 1, disk10 is configured for air-incident recording applications and includes,in order, substrate 12, a reflective layer 14, a first dielectric layer16, a recording layer 18, a second dielectric layer 20, and a thirddielectric layer 22. FIG. 1 is provided for purposes of illustration andis not drawn to scale. The incorporation of more than one recordinglayer is conceivable for dual-layer applications. Dielectric layers 16,20 encapsulate recording layer 18 and protect it against reactants.Dielectric layer 22 may be desirable to optically tune disk 10 and isoptional. Also, reflective layer 14 optionally is included for enhancedoptical and thermal response.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of disk 10. As shown in FIG. 2, disk 10is circular and has an inner diameter 23 defined by a center hole 25,and an outer diameter 27 defined by the circumference of the disk. InFIG. 2, reference numeral 29 generally designates the various layers 14,16, 18, 20, 22 formed over substrate 12. Disk 10 can be configured for afixed disk drive system, but preferably is removable to facilitate theuse of multiple disks with a single drive and disk portability to otherdrives. For removable use, disk 10 may be housed in a cartridge. Centerhole 25 may accommodate a hub or other mechanism for coupling disk 10 toa clutch and spindle motor associated with a drive. The hub may extendthrough the cartridge. The diameter of circular center hole 25 may be onthe order of 15 mm, although other hole diameters are conceivable.

Substrate 12, in accordance with the present invention, has a thicknessof greater than or equal to approximately 1.5 mm. In particular,substrate 12 preferably has a thickness that is greater than or equal to2.3 mm and less than or equal to 2.6 mm for optimum performance and easeof use and fabrication. The diameter of disk 10 preferably is greaterthan or equal to approximately 120 mm and less than or equal toapproximately 135 mm. More preferably, disk 10 has a diameter ofapproximately 130 mm for desired flatness in combination with thethickness dimension of substrate 12. Other disk diameters areconceivable, however, and may benefit from a substrate 12 having anincreased thickness as described herein.

With a disk having a diameter of 120 mm to 135 mm, the increasedthickness of substrate 12 has been observed to provide enhanced flatnessover a range of operating conditions. Substrate 12 provides disk 10 withincreased stiffness to resist deflection in response to forcesencountered during drive operation. Also, the increased thickness ofsubstrate 12 allows disk 10 to resist warpage and tilt that otherwisecould result during fabrication due to gravity and processing-inducedthermal gradients.

The result of the enhanced flatness afforded by substrate 12 is a disk10 that yields greater spatial density and data storage capacity. In anair-incident, near field recording application, the increased thicknessof substrate 12 reduces deviation of the plane of disk 10 from an idealrecording plane on which a beam emitted by a drive head is focused. Inthis manner, substrate 12 enables the air gap between disk 10 and thehead to maintain a more constant thickness for consistent focus and spotsize. Substrate 12 also enables enhanced drive reliability by reducingthe susceptibility of disk 10 to head crashes.

With further reference to FIG. 1, disk 10 may form part of a near-field,airincident recording system for magneto-optic data storage. Such asystem may include an integrated magnetic head assembly 24 that emits arecording beam 26. The head assembly is oriented to direct beam 26 torecording layer 18 as disk 10 is rotated by a spindle motor at speeds onthe order of 2400 to 3600 revolutions per minute. Recording beam 26heats disk 10 at particular domains in the presence of a magnetic fieldapplied by magnetic head assembly 24. The near-field recording techniquemakes use of evanescent coupling to direct beam 26 to recording layer18. The beam can be transmitted, for example, by a solid immersion lens(SIL). An example of a system having a SIL for near-field, air-incidentrecording of magneto-optic disks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,750to Cole et al. The magnetic head assembly 24 can be structurallyintegrated along with the SIL to form a so-called “flying head.”

Recording beam 26 is air-incident in the sense that it does not passthrough substrate 12 to reach recording layer 18. Rather, recording beam26 is incident on recording layer 18 via the air bearing that separatesdisk 10 from the flying head. The air gap is extremely thin, having athickness that ordinarily is less than one wavelength of recording beam26. Beam 26 also may pass through one or more dielectric layers 20, 22before reaching recording layer 18. As also shown in FIG. 1, readout canbe achieved by application of beam 26 to recording layer 18 at a lowerintensity. A detector 28 is oriented to receive a reflected component ofthe read beam. Detector 28 translates the Kerr rotation angle of thereflected component to an appropriate bit value. This detector 28 alsomay be structurally integrated with the flying head.

The enhanced flatness of disk 10 allows improved conformance of thesurface of the disk to the recording plane. In particular, the reducedsusceptibility of disk 10 to warpage and tilt, along with improvedstiffness for resistance to deflection, allows the air gap between theflying head and the disk to remain substantially constant, at leastrelative to applicable system tolerances. As a result, the position ofhead assembly 24 can be readily tuned to produce a desired air gapthickness in a consistent manner. Specifically, the enhanced flatness ofdisk 10 enables head assembly 24 to be positioned at a substantiallyconstant distance across the entire surface plane of disk 10 withoutregard to radial position.

In an air-incident construction, the optical characteristics ofsubstrate 12 are largely irrelevant. Specifically, because the beam doesnot enter disk 10 through substrate 12, the optical properties of thesubstrate have no direct optical effect on performance. In contrast,substrate-incident disks typically require substrates having particularoptical properties. Thus, in an air-incident disk, it is conceivablethat a wider array of materials may be used to fabricate substrate 12.Also, such materials could be less expensive than higher grade opticalmaterials. For example, substrate 12 can be formed from a variety ofmaterials including thermosets, thermoplastics, metal, or glass. Theselected materials can be transparent or opaque. Also, such materialscould be selected in part on the basis of the applicable elastic modulusof the material for enhanced rigidity relative to more typical substratematerials for optical disks. For optical recording, however, it istypically desirable to form a physical format on substrate 12 tofacilitate optical tracking. Therefore, it may be most desirable to formsubstrate 12 from a material that can be readily replicated with aphysical format in a mold.

An example of a particular material that is readily embossable is thehigh-flow polycarbonate typically used for CD production. Althoughpolycarbonate in general is a very widely used engineeringthermoplastic, this particular class of polycarbonate has been developedfor the optical disk market. The ready availability and price of thisclass of polycarbonate make it attractive for use in substrate 12. Thispolycarbonate material also provides a number of structural andmanufacturing advantages. For example, high-flow polycarbonate has asufficiently low viscosity to fill the mold without forming flow marksoften associated with injection molded products. With an elastic moduluson the order of 345,000 pounds per square inch (psi), this class ofpolycarbonate is not generally among the stiffest of engineeringthermoplastics, but is rigid enough to provide disk 10 with the desiredflatness characteristic for substrate thicknesses contemplated inaccordance with the present invention. In addition to sufficientrigidity, water uptake in high-flow polycarbonate is relatively low,avoiding significant deformation or environmental degradation problemsdue to water absorption. Also, this material exhibits astrain-at-failure of over 100 percent, indicating that the material ishighly ductile. This characteristic is important for a nano-replicatedplastic surface that will be used in an optical disk drive to guide asub-micron sized laser spot to data on disk 10. Given its acceptableperformance over an array of requirements, the high-flow polycarbonatetypically used for optical disk substrates provides a suitable materialfor fabrication of substrate 12.

Substrate 12 preferably is formed as a single, integrally formed piece,but could be constructed from two or more layers bonded together by, forexample, adhesive bonding or lamination. For example, two polycarbonatesubstrates produced from conventional 1.2 mm MO substrate molds could bebonded together to provide a 2.4 mm substrate, which falls within thedesired thickness range of approximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm. To reduce thetime and complexity of fabrication, however, such a polycarbonatesubstrate preferably is integrally formed from a single mold as asingle, non-layered substrate. The other layers 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 canthen be formed over the resulting substrate 12.

Recording layer 18 may comprise a rare earth transition metal alloy suchas FeTbCo or FeTbCoTa. Dielectric layers 16, 20, 22 can be formed fromany of a variety of dielectric materials including silicon carbide,silicon nitride, and silicon dioxide. In particular, dielectric layers16, 20 may comprise silicon carbide for enhanced passivation ofrecording layer 18, whereas dielectric layer 22 may comprise siliconnitride for desired optical response. Finally, reflective layer 14 maycomprise a highly reflective metal such as aluminum chrome alloy. Such amaterial provides both effective reflectivity and thermal conductivity.

In an exemplary embodiment, the various layers 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 ofdisk 10 may be dimensioned and constructed as disclosed in copendingU.S. application Ser. No. 09/003,583, pending to Aspen et al., entitled“MAGNETO-OPTIC RECORDING MEDIUM WITH REDUCED DEMAGNETIZING FIELDTHRESHOLD,” filed Jan. 6, 1998. For example, reflective layer 14 may beformed from a layer of aluminum chrome alloy (4 weight % chromium inaluminum) having a thickness in a range of less than or equal toapproximately 130 nm and greater than or equal to approximately 20 nm,and preferably less than or equal to approximately 60 nm and greaterthan or equal to approximately 30 nm. The thickness of recording layer18 preferably is less than or equal to approximately 15 nm. Inparticular, the thickness of recording layer 18 may be in a range ofless than or equal to approximately 15 nm and greater than or equal toapproximately 6 nm, and preferably is in a range of less than or equalto approximately 12 nm and greater than or equal to approximately 8 nm.Recording layer 18, in this exemplary embodiment, may be formed from anFeTbCoTa material. In particular, recording layer 18 may having acomposition, in atomic weight, of approximately 67%Fe, 23.5% Tb, 8.0%Co, and 1.5% Ta.

First dielectric layer 16 may have a thickness in a range of less thanor equal to approximately 60 nm and greater than or equal toapproximately 5 nm, and preferably is in a range of less than or equalto approximately 30 nm and greater than or equal to approximately 5 nm.Second dielectric layer 20 may have a thickness in a range of less thanor equal to approximately 30 nm and greater than or equal toapproximately 5 nm, and preferably is greater than or equal toapproximately 20 nm. In this example, first and second dielectric layers16, 20 may be formed from a silicon carbide-graphite material marketedunder the tradename Hexoloy SG and commercially available fromCarborundum, Inc., Amherst, N.Y., U.S.A. The composition of the “HexoloySG” silicon carbide compound has a spectrum indicating the presence ofcarbon, boron, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen in detectableconcentrations. Using the peak intensities and standard sensitivityfactors known in the art, the atomic concentration of this siliconcarbide (SiC_(x)) dielectric is estimated asSi(35%)C(51%)B(7%)N(5%)O(2%) which yields a value of x=0.51/0.35=1.47.Third dielectric layer 22 may have a thickness in a range of less thanor equal to approximately 200 nm and greater than or equal toapproximately 5 nm, and preferably less than or equal to approximately50 nm and greater than or equal to approximately 20 nm. Third dielectriclayer 22 may be formed from a silicon nitride material. In this example,the silicon nitride may be Si₃N₄.

According to this embodiment, disk 10 incorporates a substrate 12 havinga thickness in the range of approximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm, as describedherein, while also incorporating an extremely thin MO recording layer onthe order of 6 to 15 nm in thickness. The combination of these featuresprovides a disk 10 having both enhanced flatness characteristics and areduced demagnetizing field threshold. The flatness characteristic isparticularly applicable to disk diameters in the range of greater thanor equal to approximately 120 mm and less than or equal to approximately135 mm. The reduced demagnetizing field threshold is useful withrecording techniques, such as magnetic field modulation, that use lowermagnetic fields. A disk constructed with the above materials anddimensions has been observed as capable of providing stable magnetizeddomains on the order of 0.0525 square microns per domain.

Disk 10 preferably is constructed for air-incident recording. Disk 10could be adapted for substrate-incident recording, however, by selectingthe order in which the various layers are deposited. In particular, forsubstrate-incident recording, disk 10 could include, in order, substrate12, a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectriclayer, and a reflective layer. Such a substrate-incident disk wouldbenefit from the enhanced flatness afforded by the thickness ofsubstrate 12. At the same time, however, the increased thickness ofsubstrate 12 could cause beam focusing and attenuation problems forexisting laser diode sources.

FIG. 3 is a bar graph illustrating variation in process-induced tilt fordisks having different substrate thicknesses. Tilt is one of the factorscontributing to the overall flatness characteristic of a disk, i.e., theconformance of the beam-incident surface of the disk to the recordingplane on which the write beam is focused. The effects of gravity andunbalanced thermal gradients during the post-fill cooling phase cancause uneven densification of different areas of the disks, producingdisk warpage and tilt. Tilt refers to the angular variation of the disksurface relative to a plane that is tangential with the center of thedisk. Thus, for a warped disk, tilt can vary across the disk radius. Asshown in FIG. 3, a number of disk samples having different substratethicknesses were analyzed to determine tilt in milli-radians (mrad). Thesamples are represented along the horizontal axis of the graph of FIG.3, whereas tilt in mrad is shown along the vertical axis.

As indicated in the graph of FIG. 3, a first set of disk samplesconsisted of ten conventional DVD disks, each having a substratethickness of 0.6 mm. Each DVD disk was a 4.7 gigabyte (GB) disk having adiameter of 120 mm. Such DVD disks are commercially available fromImation Enterprises Corp., Oakdale, Minn., U.S.A. A second set of disksamples consisted of ten conventional MO disks, each having a substratethickness of 1.2 mm. Each MO disk was a 1.3 GB disk having a diameter of130 mm. Such MO disks are also commercially available from ImationEnterprises Corp., Oakdale, Minn., U.S.A. Finally, the third set of disksamples consisted of ten specially prepared MO disks, each having asubstrate thickness of approximately 2 mm in accordance with anembodiment in the present invention. Each of the specially prepared MOdisks had a diameter of 130 mm, and conceivably could be used withnear-field recording techniques to achieve data storage densities on theorder of 10 to 20 GB. The substrate for each of the specially preparedMO disks was molded in manner similar to that used for conventionaloptical disks. In particular, each substrate was molded in a mid-sized30-100 ton injection molding press that has tooling to make a singlesubstrate per cycle.

With reference to FIG. 3, the MO disks having a substrate thickness ofapproximately 2 mm produced significantly improved tilt characteristics.Tilt was measured as the maximum tilt over a sampling of radial andangular positions along the disk. The tilt measurement was obtained byusing a laser-scanned sensor array that logged vertical displacement ofthe disk surface for a single rotation of the disk. By radiallytranslating the scanner and sensor array, tilt at a full range of radiiwas mapped. As a result, the disk can be described by a function f(r,θ),where r is disk radius and θ is angular position. Axial displacement wasdefined as the maximum absolute value of z or maximum deviation of thedisk surface from the testing datum over the entire surface. Axialrunout is the largest circumferential peak-to-peak value of z, i.e.,max(z)-min(z) on a particular radius, found among all radii tested. Tiltis defined as a vector quantity, T, of the first derivative of thefunction that describes the disk surface, and includes a radial andtangential component. With this background, tilt provides a usefulindication of overall disk flatness.

As shown in FIG. 3, whereas the DVD disks and MO disks produced maximumtilt ranging from approximately 5 to 9.5 mrad, the “thick-substrate” MOdisks of the present invention produced maximum tilt on the order of 1to 1.5 mrad. The reduced tilt produced in the disks having a substratewith a thickness of approximately 2 mm is one significant factor inproviding improved flatness. Specifically, with lesser tilt, the surfaceof disk 10 better conforms to the recording plane on which theevanescently coupled beam is focused. In other words, the flatter disksurface contributes to a more consistent air gap thickness between therecording head and the surface of the disk. The air gap thicknessdetermines the focal plane of the beam, and the amount of radiationtransmitted by evanescent coupling. By reducing variation in air gapthickness, the write beam can more consistently resolve domains ofincreasingly smaller size. This feature is particularly useful for theaggressive spatial resolution requirements of near-field recording. Witha 130 mm disk, for example, a storage density requirement ofapproximately 20 GB will require a spatial resolution of approximately0.0525 square microns. Greater storage density requirements in thefuture will result, of course, in even more aggressive spatialresolutions. Accordingly, elimination of substantial air gap-inducedfocusing error is a critical performance factor. Following measurementof tilt, the degree of warpage can be characterized in terms of thedifference between maximum and minimum tilt over the disk. In light ofthe significantly reduced maximum tilt measurement obtained from thespecially prepared disks, as shown in FIG. 3, it is reasonable tocharacterize such disks as also exhibiting significantly reducedwarpage.

FIG. 4 is a bar graph illustrating normalized variation in deflection ofa disk having different substrate thicknesses. Deflection is anothersignificant factor in the overall flatness characteristic of a disk. Inparticular, the disk can be susceptible to deflection in response toforces encountered during drive operation. Such forces may result, forexample, from inadvertent contact of the head with the disk surface orvibration induced by rotation of the disk. Head crashes can result, inparticular, from the application of shock loads when the disk and drivesystem are bumped or dropped. Also, for flight during operation, thehead exerts pressure against the air bearing. This bearing pressure istransferred to the disk, and can cause disk deflection. Deflectiongenerally varies across the surface area of the disk. In particular,deflection during use can be more pronounced at the outer diameter ofthe disk. The disk is held in a relatively fixed manner by a clutchmechanism associated with the drive. This disk is rotated by a spindlemotor associated with the clutch mechanism. The radii of the disk planeform beam members relative to the fixed center of the disk. Each beammember undergoes greater deflection at the outer diameter than at theinner diameter of the disk. Thus, deviation of the disk surface from therecording plane can progressively increase from the inner diameteroutward. As a result, the disk surface may not conform closely to therecording plane as it is rotated.

The graph of FIG. 4 represents calculations of disk deflection incantilever loading as a function of the thickness of the substrate ofthe disk. The results are normalized against the response of a 2.0 mmthick polymeric substrate. The findings of FIG. 4 are particularlyrelevant in the case where the disk would respond to a head load at itsouter diameter, or in the case where the substrate would respond to ashock load from, e.g. a disk drive system that is dropped. As shown inFIG. 4, by comparing the deflection results for the disk with a 2.5 mmthick substrate to those for a disk with a 2.0 mm thick substrate, it isapparent that a 25% increase in thickness, i.e., 2.0 to 2.5 mm, providesapproximately a 50% improvement in stiffness, i.e. 1.0 to 0.5 on thenormalized scale. Thus, whereas a substrate having a thickness that isgreater than or equal to approximately 1.5 mm can yield significantimprovements in flatness, rigidity, and warpage resistance, it has beenfound that a substrate thickness on the order of 2.3 to 2.6 mm canprovide even greater advantages. At the same time, with a substratethickness on the order of 2.3 to 2.6 mm, impact on manufacturing costand throughput, as well as drive performance, remains in an acceptablerange. Disks having substrates with thicknesses on the order of 2.3 to2.6 mm have been observed to provide improved tilt characteristics incomparison to disks with substrates having conventional thicknesses.

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating actual variation in deflection for diskshaving different substrate thicknesses. The graph of FIG. 5 showsdeflection data for several actual disks and substrates, as well asdisks and substrates represented by finite element modeling.Specifically, with reference to FIG. 5, deflection data was obtained forthe following sets of samples: sample set 1—bare (uncoated)polycarbonate substrates having thicknesses ranging from approximately1.24 to 1.52 mm; sample set 2—coated (with recording layer, reflector,and dielectrics) polycarbonate substrates having thicknesses rangingfrom approximately 1.24 to 1.52 mm; sample set 5—bare (uncoated)polycarbonate substrates having thicknesses ranging from approximately1.95 to 2.1 mm, and sample set 6—bare (uncoated) polycarbonatesubstrates having a thickness of approximately 2.5 mm. The polycarbonatesubstrates in sample sets 1, 2, 5, and 6 were formed from high-flow, CDgrade polycarbonate obtained from Mitsubishi Gas & Chemical Co.Deflection data was also modeled for the following sets of samplesanalyzed by finite element modeling: sample set 3—bare (uncoated)polycarbonate substrates having thicknesses ranging from approximately1.2 to 1.8 mm; and sample set 4—coated (with recording layer, reflector,and dielectrics) polycarbonate substrates having thicknesses rangingfrom approximately 1.2 to 1.8 mm.

Each sample, actual and modeled, had a radius of 130 mm. The deflectiondata was represented as axial displacement in microns (μm) relative toan initial, unloaded position. To obtain the deflection data, eachsample was loaded with a force of approximately 5 grams force (gf) at aradius from disk center of approximately 60 mm. The loading force isapproximately equivalent to the air bearing forces expected to beexerted against the disk during operation in an air-incident, near-fieldrecording application. Displacement of the sample at the 60 mm radiuswas then measured from its initial, unloaded position to the loadedposition. This disk was not rotated during measurement. However, thisstatic measurement is believed to provide a reasonable analog to themeasurements that would be obtained during rotation. This displacementmeasurement provided an indication of relative deflection of eachsample.

As illustrated by the graph of FIG. 5, the displacement data suggest arapid decrease in disk deflection as substrate thickness is increasedfrom approximately 1.2 mm to approximately 2.1 mm. In particular, a barepolycarbonate disk having a thickness of approximately 1.24 mm wasobserved to produce displacement of approximately 62 microns. Incontrast, a bare polycarbonate disk having a thickness of approximately2.0 mm was observed to produce a displacement of approximately 18microns. With a substrate thickness of approximately 2.5 mm, deflectionwas even further reduced to approximately 6.7 microns. Thus, a 25%increase in substrate thickness, i.e., 2.0 mm to 2.5 mm, can yield morethan a 50% reduction in deflection, i.e., from 18 microns to 6.7microns.

Based on the data represented in the graph of FIG. 5, it is evident thata disk having a thicker substrate can provide a clear advantage inresisting operationallyinduced deflection in the drive. This resistanceto deflection, or “stiffness,” is critical in ensuring consistentconformance of the incident surface of the disk to the recording plane.The deflection data also support the theoretical case for a disksubstrate of increased thickness. Specifically, according to principlesof mechanics, stiffness of a beam member is proportional to the elasticmodulus of the material and the width of the beam. Stiffness is also afunction, however, of the cube of the thickness. Thus, substratethickness is the most powerful factor in controlling deflection. Inaccordance with the present invention, this characteristic of a thickersubstrate is exploited to improve the flatness characteristic of thedisk, and ultimately contribute to increased spatial density forrecording. In particular, greater disk stiffness improves theconsistency of air gap thickness across the surface of the disk. Moreconsistent air gap thickness enhances the ability of the drive to focuson increasingly smaller domains on the disk.

Although increased substrate thickness is generally desirable from adisk performance standpoint, it may be constrained by certain size,weight, and fabrication process considerations. Specifically,significantly increased substrate thickness can lead to a disk havingexcessive size and weight. Excessive size and weight can undermineinterests in portability and ergonomics. Also, excessive size and weightcan increase the torque, power consumption, and space requirements ofthe drive. In particular, excessive weight results in a disk havinggreater inertia and momentum, slowing spinup and spin-down times andincreasing access time by the drive. Further, greater substratethickness can drive up the cost of materials used in the fabricationprocess, as well as the process time necessary for disk fabrication.With a polycarbonate or other plastic substrate, for example, thesubstrate is molded and allowed to cool. With increased thicknesses, thepost-fill cooling process may take longer.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating variation in cooling time for disksmolded with different substrate thicknesses. FIG. 6 shows simplefinite-difference results for freezing time for the midline of a diskwhere one-dimensional (out-of-plane) conduction dominates. The governingequation for one-dimensional transient heat conduction is as follows:

dT/dt=∝(∂²T/∂z²)

where T is temperature in Kelvins, t is time, z is thickness dimension,and ∝ is the coefficient of thermal diffusivity. This equation is firstorder in time and second order in the spatial direction. Consequently, achange in substrate thickness will require an increase in post-fillcooling time that is proportional to the square of the thickness change.In FIG. 6, the equations are solved for conditions appropriate forpolycarbonate injected into a mold at 340 degrees C., and held incontact with the metal mold surfaces at 80, 100, and 120 degrees C. Asshown in FIG. 6, disk substrate thicknesses on the order of 2 mm areexpected to cool to solid state in less than twenty seconds. Atsubstrate thicknesses above 2.5 mm, however, cooling time exceeds twentyseconds and increases at a greater rate with increased thickness.

The key conclusion to be drawn from the data in FIG. 6 is that therequired cooling time rises considerably as the substrate thickness isincreased above 2.5 mm. Of course, this increased cooling time canreduce fabrication process throughput, possibly requiring additionalmold stations and associated capital expenditures for desired productionlevels. In view of the marked improvements in disk flatness forsubstrate thicknesses in the range of approximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm,increased cooling times can be tolerated to some degree. At substratethicknesses in excess of 2.6 mm, however, cooling times increase at aneven greater rate while additional gains in flatness are both lesspronounced and generally less valuable. Specifically, with reference tothe graph of FIG. 5, a flatness on the order of 6 to 8 microns shouldprovide adequate flatness for the spatial resolutions and driveconditions contemplated herein. Accordingly, additional gains inflatness are offset by excessive cooling times, and therefore aregenerally unjustified. Rather, substrate thicknesses in the range ofapproximately 2.3 to 2.6 mm are considered optimum given the tradeoffbetween disk flatness and cooling time.

In view of the deflection data of FIGS. 4 and 5, and the process data ofFIG. 6, the limits for substrate thickness are generallyperformance-based on the lower end and process-based on the upper end.The upper end is also influenced by the cost, size, and weight of thedisk and drive. Thus, a balance is necessary. In accordance with thepresent invention, it is desirable that the substrate have a thicknessof greater than or equal to approximately 1.5 mm to facilitate adequatestiffness to limit deflection and vibration problems. A substrate havinga thickness that is greater than or equal to approximately 1.5 mm isalso desirable to avoid significant warpage and tilt. To allow feasibleprocessing time, as well as reasonable cost, size and weight of the diskand drive, however, it is desirable that the thickness of the substratebe less than or equal to approximately 2.6 mm. In a preferredembodiment, this balance can be achieved such that the substratethickness is greater than or equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less thanor equal to approximately 2.6 mm. With a substrate thickness in thispreferred range, satisfactory disk flatness has been observed withoutproducing excessive processing time or significantly driving up thematerial cost, size, and weight of the disk and drive. This thicknessrange has been observed to be particularly advantageous for a diskhaving a diameter in the range of approximately 120 to 135 mm. Givenmaximum disk and drive size limitations and storage densityrequirements, this disk diameter range appears most feasible forpresently contemplated near field recording applications.

The foregoing detailed description has been provided for a betterunderstanding of the invention and is for exemplary purposes only.Modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art withoutdeviating from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example,although the enhanced flatness provided by the present invention may beparticularly desirable for magneto-optic disks useful in near-field,air-incident recording, application to other optical disks such asphase-change, holographic, CD-R, or substrate incident magneto-opticdisks is contemplated. For each type of optical disk, enhanced flatnessbecomes more critical with increased spatial storage densities.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rewritable optical data storage disk comprisinga substrate and a recording layer, wherein the substrate has a thicknessof greater than or equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equalto approximately 2.6 mm.
 2. The disk of claim 1, wherein the disk is amagneto-optic disk and the recording layer comprises a magneto-opticrecording material.
 3. The disk of claim 1, wherein the disk has adiameter in the range of approximately 120 to 135 mm.
 4. The disk ofclaim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from thegroup consisting of thermoset, thermoplastic, glass, and metal.
 5. Thedisk of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises polycarbonate material.6. The disk of claim 1, further comprising a reflective layer, a firstdielectric layer and a second dielectric layer, wherein the first andsecond dielectric layers are disposed adjacent opposite sides of therecording layer.
 7. The disk of claim 1, wherein the disk is capable offorming stable magnetizable domains having dimensions of less than orequal to approximately 0.06 square microns.
 8. The disk of claim 1,wherein the substrate and the recording layer include a central holehaving a diameter of approximately 15 mm.
 9. An air-incident,magneto-optic disk comprising in order: a substrate; a reflective layer;a first dielectric layer; a magneto-optic recording layer; and a seconddielectric layer, wherein the substrate has a thickness of greater thanor equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal to approximately2.6 mm.
 10. The disk of claim 9, wherein the disk has a diameter in therange of approximately 120 to 135 mm.
 11. The disk of claim 9, whereinthe substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting ofthermoset, thermoplastic, glass, and metal.
 12. The disk of claim 9,wherein the substrate comprises polycarbonate material.
 13. The disk ofclaim 9, wherein the disk is capable of forming stable magnetizabledomains having dimensions of less than or equal to approximately 0.06square microns.
 14. The disk of claim 9, wherein the substrate and therecording layer include a central hole having a diameter ofapproximately 15 mm.
 15. A system for air-incident, magneto-opticrecording, the system comprising a magneto-optic disk having a substrateand a recording layer, a radiation source oriented to direct a beam ofradiation to the recording layer from a side of the disk opposite thesubstrate, and a detector oriented to receive a reflected component ofthe beam of radiation and generate a data signal based on the content ofthe beam of radiation, wherein the substrate has a thickness of greaterthan or equal to approximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal toapproximately 2.6 mm.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the disk iscapable of forming stable magnetizable domains having dimensions of lessthan approximately 0.06 square microns.
 17. The system of claim 15,wherein the disk rotates at a speed of greater than or equal toapproximately 2400 revolutions per minute.
 18. The system of claim 15,wherein the disk has a diameter in the range of approximately 120 mm to135 mm.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises amaterial selected from the group consisting of thermoset, thermoplastic,glass, and metal.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the substratecomprises polycarbonate material.
 21. The system of claim 15, whereinthe disk further includes a reflective layer, a first dielectric layerand a second dielectric layer, wherein the first and second dielectriclayers are disposed adjacent opposite sides of the recording layer. 22.The system of claim 15, wherein the disk includes a central hole havinga diameter of approximately 15 mm.
 23. The system of claim 15, furthercomprising a solid immersion lens separated from the disk by a distanceof less than one wavelength of the beam of radiation, the solidimmersion lens transmitting the beam of radiation to the disk byevanescent coupling.
 24. An air-incident, magneto-optic disk comprisingin order: a substrate having a thickness of greater than or equal toapproximately 2.3 mm and less than or equal to approximately 2.6 mm; areflective layer; a first dielectric layer; a recording layer having athickness of greater than or equal to approximately 6 nm and less thanor equal to approximately 15 nm; and a second dielectric layer, whereinthe disk has a diameter in the range of approximately 120 to 135 mm andis capable of forming stable magnetizable domains having dimensions ofless than approximately 0.06 square microns.
 25. A method for making anair-incident, magneto-optic disk comprising: forming a substrate havinga thickness of greater than or equal to approximately 2.3 mm and lessthan or equal to approximately 2.6 mm; forming a reflective layer overthe substrate; forming a first dielectric layer over the reflectivelayer; forming a recording layer over the first dielectric layer; andforming a second dielectric layer over the recording layer.